VLC Beta Build For Android Is Everything That We Expected

The one media player that every Android phone user was eagerly awaiting. That would be VLC Media Player. The Android version is finally here, as VLC said it would and it is exactly what we have come to expect from the video player that plays it all.
The version 0.01 available for download now is a beta build and it is the NEON version.

The VLC beta for Android boasts a long list of features. Here are some:

“Plays all files, in all formats, like the classic VLC.

Audio and video media library, with full search.

Support for network streams, including HLS.

Supports Android from version 2.1 (platform-7).

Supports ARMv6, ARMv7 and ARMv7+NEON.

Subtitles support, embedded and external, including ASS and DVD subtitles.

Multi audio or subtitles tracks selection.

Multi-core decoding, for Cortex-A7 A9 and A15 chips.

Experimental hardware decoding.

Gestures, headphones control.”

If you are wondering what NEON version signifies, it means that this version of VLC beta is capable of running NEON capable devices. It has something to do with the processor in your phone. If your phone has an ARMv7 processor, which most modern smartphones do, then VLC beta will run on your device. This restriction is simply because of the way VLC is built. It needs that extra processing power that ARMv7 chips provide.

If you want to know if your phone has an ARMv7 processor, simply navigate to the folder /proc/cpuinfo using the file manager app. Once you open the file, the first line will read something like this “Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 2 (v7l)”, If your phone is a non NEON one, you will read no such thing.

There is no reason to feel disappointed however, as VLC has said that it will release different versions of the VLC player which will be capable of running on NON NEON devices.

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